The Off Duty 50 Sizing Up Spring's Trends

The Off Duty 50 Sizing Up Spring's Trends

A stylish guide to 50 huge trends and tiny finds in fashion, travel, food, design and gear—from voluminous coats to diminutive drones, monster pies to modest watches, and more

Published
March 27, 2017

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Let Your Sole Grow

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Let Your Sole Grow

For several years sneakers have been on a strict no-carb diet. Think of the slim-soled, streamlined look of Adidas’s Stan Smiths and Vans’s Era. If you’re used to slender sneaks, it may take a moment for your eyes to adjust to the thicker sole of styles like the currently trending Mono Runner from Swedish label Our Legacy (above). But consider the stacked foundation a way to make a statement, without gimmicky design details. One caveat: Wear these trainers with slightly cropped pants. Droopy pants pooling on top of weightier shoes can look heavy and schlubby, not sharp. Sneakers, $430, ourlegacy.se

Stay On the Thin Track

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Stay On the Thin Track

Chunky smartwatches may boast more techy-cred than this barely-there fitness tracker, but you’ll find the elegant Misfit Ray easier to live with: For one thing, you needn’t worry about charging it every night (three button-cell batteries keep it counting steps and tracking your sleep-quality for up to four months). That said, it can perform a few smartwatch-worthy tricks: Set it to vibrate when you receive a call or message, or program a triple tap to pause your music or snap the camera shutter. This lilac version, as well as one in lime, are new for spring. $99, misfit.com

Decant Your Scent

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Decant Your Scent

Pamela Love, whose sculptural, folklore-inspired jewelry designs have found fans in the likes of fashion designers Monique Lhuillier and Zac Posen, arrays her perfumes on her nightstand. But waking up to the sight of a brand name feels a bit cheap, she thinks. “A scent is so personal,” she said, “I wanted bottles that feel like pieces of jewelry.” On a trip to Mexico, she discovered tiny vessels—less than 4 inches in height—made by silversmiths in Oaxaca, whose craft has been passed down through generations. She now commissions and sells roughly a dozen styles of the handmade vials, giving direction in terms of shape and the integration of semiprecious stones such malachite, onyx and lapis. Less like perfume bottles, more like talismans. Tiger’s Eye ‘O’ Perfume Bottle, $125, pamelalove.com —Liz Logan

Hang Humongous Art

Francis Dzikowski/OTTO

Hang Humongous Art

You don’t need capacious rooms to enjoy oversize artwork. In fact, a big canvas in a small space is a favorite design formula

"But where will I put it?” you ask yourself as your heart swells with desire for a painting you’re not even sure will squeeze through your front door. And then the chorus of hoary truisms joins in: “It’ll overwhelm the room.” “You’ll never get away from it.” Well, yes it will, and no you can’t, but that’s the point, so put it on the wall, say designers, even if it fills the entire wall.
“The myth that big art will make a small room smaller should be killed along with [the one about] painting rooms white to make them feel bigger,” said Adam Rolston of INC Architecture and Design, in New York. He completely covered a wall—the only one free of glass or millwork in a bright but petite bedroom—with an enormous 12-foot-by-6-foot Japanese Meiji-period screen. As a backdrop to the neutral, low-profile platform bed, the artwork “dominates the room in a grand and luxuriant manner,” he said.
Read the full story: Huge Art In Small Rooms: The Design Insiders’ Trick

Crack the Code

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Crack the Code

Fans of the food journal Lucky Peach are still smarting from the announcement that the fall issue will be the last. Published this week, “All About Eggs” by contributing editor Rachel Khong and the rest of the Lucky Peach staff (Clarkson Potter, April 4, $26) is truly a parting gift. Part tiny cookbook, part eggcyclopedia, it’s packed with facts—from the science behind the yolk’s sunny color to tips on how to tell if your egg is fresh. The range of recipes is impressive, too. Whether napping the noodles in spaghetti alla carbonara, providing a rich filling for a Hong Kong-style egg tart or binding bacon and oysters in the classic Hangtown fry, the humble ingredient is revealed to hold infinite possibilities within its compact shell.

Pour It On Thick

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Pour It On Thick

Known for the big flavors she brings to dishes, Chicago chef Stephanie Izard found inspiration around the globe for This Little Goat, her new line of cooking sauces and spice mixes. Blended with fiery Korean gochujang, This Little Goat Went to Korea brings sizzle to fried chicken or, mixed with mayo, to a sandwich. A pinch of This Little Goat Went to Morocco—a tart mix of sumac, hibiscus and dried citrus peel—brightens roast meats and vegetables. Seven other bold options lend a cosmopolitan air to all sorts of dishes. From $7 each, thislittlegoat.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Measure With Pleasure

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Measure With Pleasure

It’s not just a big measuring cup. The Twisted jug from Alessi is a big idea, too. Designer Gabriele Rosa has rethought the kitchen stalwart and cast it in sturdy thermoplastic resin. Measurements (both cups and centiliters) are marked on a spiral that curls around the interior from rim to base. You glance down into the pitcher to read the volume of whatever you’ve poured in—no need to bring the thing to eye level. How elegant is that? Scaled up to jumbo capacity, it’s equal to most any measuring task, eliminating the need for a stack of cups in different sizes. Then again, it’s so handsome you may want to have it in all three colors. Twisted Measuring Jug, $35, store.alessi.com

Rent an Entire Village

Castelnau des Fieumarcon

Rent an Entire Village

Anyone with moola can rent an ancient hilltop villa in the French countryside with views of sunflower fields as far as the eye can see. But why restrict yourself to a single villa when you can commandeer an entire town in Gascony (land of Armagnac and foie gras)? All 14 obsessively restored houses within the walled village of Castelnau des Fieumarcon can be rented in one fell swoop for yourself and up to 79 others as the setting for an overachieving wedding, family reunion or just a few days of complete privacy. You’ll find no TVs, phones or Wi-Fi on the premises, said owner Frédéric Coustols: “We still try to encourage the philosophy of being a place to tune out.” From about $21,000 for a three-day rental of the village, gascony.org —Matthew Kronsberg

Ogle the Great Apes

Alamy

Ogle the Great Apes

Of the three African countries that offer guided mountain gorilla treks, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the least expected choice—but for chest-pounding thrills, it’s matchless

At about 6:45 a.m., an army-green, open-sided safari truck screeched into the driveway of my hotel in Goma, a city built on lava rock in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A young man with dreadlocks jumped down to greet me. Our destination: Virunga National Park, one of the world’s last havens for the critically endangered mountain gorillas which, growing up to 6 feet tall and weighing nearly 500 pounds, areamong the largest primates on earth.
After stopping outside a dilapidated building—nearly every structure in Goma, capital of the gold-rich but embattled province of North Kivu, looks like it has seen much better days—we picked up a uniformed, AK-47-wielding ranger, and off we went. The ranger clipped his rifle to his uniform and sat with his finger taut alongside the trigger for the entire 90-minute car ride, past a police checkpoint and an overturned van, then verdant hills planted with corn and potatoes. I wasn’t sure whether to be terrified or comforted.
Read the full story: The Wildest Wildlife Vacation in Africa

Accessorize Your Wardrobe With a Wee Wardrobe

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Accessorize Your Wardrobe With a Wee Wardrobe

Photographer Mordechai Rubinstein (better known by his nom de blog Mister Mort) has teamed up with Brooklyn pin maker Pintrill to wryly pay homage to menswear’s beloved staples with a set of pipsqueak enamel pins. Stick a mini fedora onto your backpack or fasten a stamp-sized duck boot onto your oxford shirt to show that even while being on-trend, you still know how to give love back to sartorial tradition. Pin Set, $52, pintrill.com

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Fashion?

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Fashion?

“Wearing new white T-shirts and boxers. The most stylish things to me are those that you do quietly. Only you and your loved one will know why you are smiling.” —Thom Browne, Designer

Bow to King-Size Prints

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Bow to King-Size Prints

Love your Hawaiian shirt? These button-ups double down on the Aloha’s visual punch

Some casual observers of fashion viewed the arrival of the Hawaiian shirt on high-end runways a couple of years ago with surprise. What place did something that for the most part symbolized boorishness and cultural insensitivity have in a luxury context?
But truly creative designers, like Miuccia Prada and Dries Van Noten, excel in transforming the outré into the très chic. With their deft encouragement, the world of menswear said a hearty “Aloha!” to the picturesque Aloha shirt, which has stuck around as a stylish, springy piece for a few years.
Read the full story: The Men’s Shirt That Will Get You Noticed

Show a Little Ankle

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Show a Little Ankle

Apologies to inventors of centuries-old proverbs, but when it comes to spring footwear, the early bird doesn’t necessarily reap a delicious reward. She can look silly, and worse, she may end up with fancy, new sandals that are waterlogged beyond repair. To bridge the gap before May flowers arrive, consider a pair of lively white ankle boots. The pale hue pairs nicely with light-wash denim and springy pastels, while the mid-ankle shape assures everyone who sees them: “I am not a winter leftover waiting to be stowed away.” Boots, $395, marcjacobs.com

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Hit the Small Time

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Hit the Small Time

Those colossal chronographs and daunting dive watches are starting to look tired. The next tick trend: Compact faces that are less in-your-face

Alan Bedwell knows he’s got a good watch on when no one notices it. “You don’t want the watch to wear you,” said the owner of Foundwell, a reseller of vintage luxury knickknacks in New York. To achieve horological humbleness, Mr. Bedwell favors small-case watches, whose faces measure around 32 or 33 millimeters across. Rather than hogging attention like their Brobdingnagian brethren, they wait to be discovered. “It’s nice when your sleeve comes up and people go, ‘Oh, what are you wearing?’” said Mr. Bedwell.
Until recently, most watch lovers and designers didn’t share his taste for understatement. For decades, models from IWC, Panerai, Bell & Ross and other brands have been gaining weight and girth, reaching or exceeding the wrist-dwarfing 50 mm mark. Jay Z sports a blingy 44 mm Hublot “Big Bang,” and Arnold Schwarzenegger weightlifts a hulking 60 mm Panerai Radiomir. But lately the ticker tide seems to be turning.
Read the full story: With Men’s Watches, Small Is Cool Again

Play Down a Logo

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Play Down a Logo

A few things best left in the baseball stadium: Tuba-size funnel cakes, $15 beers and official ball caps. Shed the team logo after the ninth inning and instead go for a hat that doesn’t shout like a peanut vendor working the aisles. These two retro-style caps from New York labels Battenwear and Pilgrim Surf Shop combine outgoing colors with refreshingly shy logos. A plain hat is too boring; a graphically cluttered one too uncool. From left: Cap, $46, pilgrimsurfsupply.com; Battenwear Cap, $65, bivouacshop.com

Eat Large at a Miniscule Inn

Matthew Siciliano (SingleThread)

Eat Large at a Miniscule Inn

Three intimate American hotels that offer meticulous multi-course meals

For amateur gluttons, tucking into an overloaded plate makes for a good night. But true connoisseurs of gluttony would rather make a weekend of their feasting, savoring bite after bite after bite with plenty of wine—without worrying about driving home tipsy (or Uber’s surge pricing). Here, three inns that keep the guest count low and the table full.
Read the full story: 3 Gastronomic Inns Every Foodie Should Visit

Reduce Your Cheese Intake

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Reduce Your Cheese Intake

The best strategy for provisioning a spring picnic? Do as the French do: a bottle of wine, a baguette and some really good cheese. Nothing less, nothing more. And there may be no more portable, picnic-friendly cheeses than the Petites, wee wheels of brie and camembert from Marin French Cheese, the country’s oldest creamery in continuous operation. The triple-crème cheeses come in several varieties, including Petite Truffle, speckled with flecks of earthy black mushrooms; buttery Petite Supreme; Petite Camembert; and Petite Breakfast, an unaged, rindless brie. They’re compact—and delicious—enough to warrant bringing along several varieties to spread out on the picnic blanket. From $20 for three, food52.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Pop the Proverbial Cork But Clink a Little Differently

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Pop the Proverbial Cork But Clink a Little Differently

Tall and elegant though it may be, the customary crystal flute really is a rather precarious delivery system for bubbly. Shorter in stature but no less chic, these stemless porcelain Champagne bowls nestle cozily into the palm of the hand. Their 24-carat gold and platinum interiors provide plenty of splendor and keep the contents cool, too. Austrian porcelain manufactory Augarten releases a new color annually—for 2017, it’s a pretty pink—a fine excuse to expand your collection and to gather guests for a toast, year after year. Champagne Bowls, $170 each, stillfried.com

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Travel?

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Travel?

“Sometimes we overlook the small, personal moments that can really shape an entire trip. It’s having an afternoon cafecito in Cuba with a local while discussing contemporary art, touring Rome with your host’s spare bike, or working alongside community members in an urban garden in Harlem.”—Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb

Embrace the Technology Bloom

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Embrace the Technology Bloom

To create her quietly grand wall coverings, which depict flowers as big as basketballs but far more seductive, Ashley Woodson Bailey uses both millennial tools and her memories of centuries-old paintings. The floral artist and self-taught photographer references the Pre-Raphaelites and Dutch masters when composing floral arrangements that she then captures digitally, sometimes with her iPhone camera. She then massages the images with editing apps such as “Afterlight,” playing with over 40 different filters per image. Her moody blooms include paper-like poppies, tightly coiled ranunculus and softly hued peonies that float in depths of darkness, mimicking the chiaroscuro of classic European works. “I always start with what inspires me,” said Ms. Woodson Baily. “Some days it’s art and the history behind it, other times it’s fashion, but inevitably it comes back to the movement of the flowers.” Dutch Love Wallpaper, $12 per square foot (minimum order 35 square feet), ashleywoodsonbailey.com —Cara Gibbs

Loaf Largely

Loaf Largely

Ligne Roset’s plush, oversize, overstuffed Plumy seating collection first sprawled its way into the world in the over-the-top 1980s. Now, the French furniture company is bringing the same shameless squishiness to a relaunch of the line: armchairs, love seats, sofas and ottomans that more closely resemble well-tailored mounds of dough than traditional strait-laced loungers. As with the previous incarnation, the goose-feather cushions unfold to rest on ottomans, transforming the seats into doze-inducing chaises. Updates include a rainbow-assortment of upholstery options as well as advances in materials. More-highly resilient foam fill holds its shape, so you’ll leave no evidence of your sloth when you finally arise. Plumy Seating Collection, from $445 for an ottoman, Ligne Roset, 212-375-1036 —Mimi Faucett

Give Up the Gulp

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Give Up the Gulp

Most insulated travel mugs come in one of three sizes: grande, grander and grandest. But not every commuter or camper hankers for Big Gulp-esque servings of coffee or tea. Thankfully for those with a more moderate thirst, MiiR makes a reasonable 6-ounce version of its double-wall Tumbler. The company constructs this vacuum-insulated vessel from medical-grade stainless steel you’d have to torture to dent, yet it feels almost soft in the hand, thanks to its proprietary (and durable) powder-coated finish. And unlike travel mugs with complicated flip-up caps that are a nightmare to keep clean, MiiR’s little guy employs a simple silicone-sealed lid with a small cutout. Sipping on the go has never felt so civilized. Tumbler, $16, miir.com

Vroom With a Mini-Engine

John Gulliver Hancock

Vroom With a Mini-Engine

Automobile engines are getting more compact, the cars themselves faster. Behold, the magic of turbocharging

This is a story about something you never see—at least, if all goes well: your car’s engine. Probably unbeknownst to you, it’s been steadily shrinking, year after year. You may not have noticed because, as automobile engines have gotten smaller, they’ve also gotten stronger. If it seems cars just keep getting faster, you’re right.
Behold the wonders of turbocharging, the technical foundation for the next generation of power-dense, efficient and emissions-friendly automobile engines.
Read the full story: Three Turbocharged Cars Under $50,000 That Deliver Epic Kick

Sprawl Under the Stars

Enlightened Equipment

Sprawl Under the Stars

Just because you and your partner want to enjoy a night camping in the woods doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice all the comforts of your cozy bedroom at home. Ditch those side-by-side sleeping bags for the spacious, two-person Accomplice quilt, handmade by Minnesota’s Enlightened Equipment. This roomy double-wide model (shown underside up) feels more like a bedspread than a constricting sleeping bag and is made-to-order: Specify your and your partner’s height and preferred warmth (choose from six temperature ratings). Best of all, the Accomplice, which weighs 1 to 3 pounds, is lighter than most traditional one-person sleeping bags. From $330, enlightenedequipment.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Channel Slim Shady

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Channel Slim Shady

When the air is heavy, the last thing you want is a pair of thick acetate tortoiseshell sunglasses bearing down on your sweat-slicked nose. Prepare for the inevitable summer heat early by switching to these razor-thin metal frames by Italian label L.G.R. Called the Tuareg, this model weighs so little you’ll forget you’re wearing them (avoid them on job-interview days). You’ll also be free from the heft of tradition, since the distinctive Tuareg favors round lenses over the teardrop shape that makes most aviator styles all too cornily “Top Gun.” The look is best complemented by a reckless road trip. Sunglasses, $324, lgrworld.com

Dig an Ample Trench

Dig an Ample Trench

Trend-driven fashion rarely convinces anyone it’s practical, and mostly with good reason. Where does one wear a sheer dress? And how do you dry clean feathers? We must make an exception, however, for this season’s voluminous trench coats, which designers have supersized in terms of hem length (mid-calf or longer), volume (a la the famous Paul Poiret cocoon coat of the early 1900s) or sleeve length—or some combination of all three.
If you’ve ever broken into an unflattering sweat trying to wrestle a slim-shouldered trench over a blazer, you’ll know that a coat with extra give is indeed practical. “You can wear these trenches over a jacket or a suit, and it creates a silhouette for you, while still fitting over everything,” said stylist Natasha Royt, “which I think is brilliant.” Bonus: A generous coat in nonabsorbent polished cotton has a more protective nature—ideal when you get caught in spring rain.
Read the full story: The Next Big Thing? An Oversize Trench Coat

Make a Very Short Shopping List

Make a Very Short Shopping List

Can your wardrobe be entirely updated for the season with the purchase of just one key item? Here, four contenders

Driven by both a lack of excessive disposable income and a fear of amassing too much stuff, I’ve always been a strategic and minimal shopper. It’s rarely easy. I agonize over the decisions, revisiting various pieces of designer clothing and accessories to determine whether each is “The One.”
This may sound tedious, but what voracious style consumers—women who can indulge in big seasonal hauls—may not realize is that one or two pieces, when properly selected, act like a key that unlocks and updates your entire existing wardrobe.
Read the full story: 4 Ways to Instantly Update Your Wardrobe for Spring

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Cooking?

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Cooking?

“In the garden and on the plate, tender herbs like chervil, chives, tarragon and parsley are the quintessential harbingers of the season. Use them raw, in a little herb salad atop fish or chicken. Or chop and stir them into just-cooked vegetables, fresh pasta or rice. These herbs will bring spring to your table.” —Samin Nosrat, author of “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking” (Simon & Schuster, April 25)

Simmer Down

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Simmer Down

Doll-scale and darling, these mini but fully functional pots and pans double as showstopping serveware. Newly available stateside, the ServInTavola line from Italian manufacturer Ballarini includes a fry pan, sauté pan, saucepan and Dutch oven fashioned from brushed aluminum and fitted with brass handles. Elevate a brunch with coddled eggs served in their very own pans. Pull the lid off an individual portion of boeuf bourguignon with outsize flourish. This cookware will withstand the heat of oven, stovetop and broiler, not to mention the scrutiny of discerning guests. $40-70 for a set of two, food52.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Make a Huge Deal Out of Wee Cakes

Make a Huge Deal Out of Wee Cakes

The classic strawberry recipe is just a start. There’s a mini variation for every occasion

What says “big occasion” like little shortcakes, individually portioned for each guest, lavishly layered with thick cream, ice cream, fruit or all of the above? We all know the standard strawberry iteration: a biscuit split in half and filled with whipped cream and strawberries macerated in sugar until the fruit surrenders its juice and becomes wonderfully saucy. But why stop there? Strawberry season won’t arrive in most of the country for another couple of months, and there’s plenty of playing around to be done with the cake part of the equation, too.
Read the full story and see the recipes: These Shortcakes Are Kind of a Big Deal

Put the World in the Palm of Your Hand

Ryan Mesina/The Wall Street Journal

Put the World in the Palm of Your Hand

Why settle for master of the universe, when you can be Godzilla, towering over any number of cities? But, please, no stomping. Gulliver’s Gate, one of several miniature parks around the world, will open this April in Midtown Manhattan, showcasing intricate replicas of scenes on five continents, from Venice’s Piazza San Marco to the Taj Mahal. Visitors can even have themselves digitally scanned, cast in miniature, and placed among the models. There are tiny figures aplenty—about a quarter million of them—in Hamburg at Germany’s Miniatur Wunderland where more than a thousand trains roll over 10 miles of track through incredibly detailed environments (including past a tiny Lindt chocolate factory, which spits out real mini schockoladen.) It can be hard to beat free chocolate for thrills, but if you’re traveling with kids, Legos usually do the trick. New this spring at Miniworld, at the original Legoland in Billund, Denmark, are 1:150 scale replicas of five of the world’s tallest buildings: Taipei 101, One World Trade Center, Shanghai Tower, Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest of the bunch, which measures 18 feet tall. But, alas, unlike the real 2,717-foot Burj Khalifa, the lego version doesn’t come with a nightclub on its 144th floor. —Matthew Kronsberg

Join the Crop Circle

Join the Crop Circle

When women chop off their hair, it tends to send a high-drama message. It can telegraph newfound independence (see Angela Bassett, fiercely fabulous in “Waiting to Exhale”) but also a touch of madness (see Mia Farrow, adorably paranoid in “Rosemary’s Baby”). Among the stylishly sane, the boyish ’do is shaping up to be the freshest cut this spring. Considering it? Take a note from the women at right who all wear short locks with breezy confidence. First, the length must be correct. Get an actual boyish haircut as opposed to an abbreviated bob, which can look mumsy. Second, resist the urge to create a shellacked, perfect look. Keeping the ’do a bit under-styled looks young and modern, while overdosing on hair spray veers into overdone newscaster territory. Lastly, go light on makeup. The hairdresser’s shears have given you all the drama you need for the moment.

Carry It All—Or Nothing

Carry It All—Or Nothing

Moderation is a fatal thing, Oscar Wilde once said. He may well have been talking about spring’s extreme-statement bags which are, by turns, so small they might be jewelry and so large they can double as furniture. Unless you actually need to cart half your kitchen about, the miniature accessories—like Valentino’s enameled case on a chain (above)—are arguably more “practical.” (Your emergency aspirin will fit nicely). As for Céline’s 2-foot-long leather bag (also above), only a heavy imbiber would forget it in a taxi. Cabas Clasp Bag, $5,000, Céline, 212-535-3703; Minaudière Bag, $895, and Dress, $8,750, Valentino, 212-355-5811

Hole Up Like a (Chic) Hermit

Roderick Aichinger

Hole Up Like a (Chic) Hermit

Getaway, an upstart not-quite-hotel brand rents little cabins in big forests in New York’s Catskills and New Hampshire, less than two hours’ drive from the urban crush. But these aren’t the kind of cabins with creaky porches and moose antlers as wall décor. Each one, designed for civilized hermits, is an architecturally sleek tiny house (160 to 200 square foot) with Casper mattresses, fire pits, grills and small kitchens. But with electric composting toilets, no air-con or Wi-Fi, you can even say you roughed it. From $89 a night, getaway.house —Matthew Kronsberg

Bag a Hefty Board

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Bag a Hefty Board

Sure, you could settle for an ordinary, inch-thick cutting board, the sort that slips around as you’re slicing and has no aesthetic heft. Or you could scale up to this generously proportioned, 31/4 -inch-thick butcher block from Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co.’s Blackline collection. Fashioned from solid white oak sustainably harvested in the U.S., it provides a handsome backdrop for a spread of cheeses or charcuterie. And it will not budge, even under the most muscular bouts of sawing and carving. Square Blackline Butcher Block, $585, marchsf.com

Have a Heaping Helping

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Have a Heaping Helping

Think of it as apple pie a la immodest. No fewer than 18 Golden Delicious apples, thinly sliced, fill the flaky crust of this towering treat from the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery in Kimmswick, Mo. It stands 9 inches tall, weighs in at a hefty 8-10 pounds and serves 10-12 people. If that’s not enough for you, try the version slathered in caramel and pecans. Either way, the pie ships frozen, to be baked on arrival. Blue Owl founder Mary Hostetter started baking her signature statuesque pastry following a 1993 flood that would have swallowed up Kimmswick if not for the sandbag levees constructed on the banks of the river. She dubbed it the Levee High Apple Pie—a delicious monument to the town’s survival and an engineering feat in its own right. $65, foodydirect.com —Kelly Michèle Guerotto

Light Way Up

Light Way Up

Most floor lamps are content to play an unsplashy supporting role. But this spring, a glow-getter over 6 feet tall, from O&G Studio for Rejuvenation, delivers top-heavy drama that recalls midcentury sofa lamps. Inspired by the handsome austerity of Shaker designs, the stately silhouette reads familiar yet unexpected, according to Sara Ossana, co-owner, with Jonathan Glatt, of Rhode Island-based O&G Studio. Its stalky brass tube rests on a hand-turned wooden base, which is available in either walnut or stained maple. When you twist in a bulb, the lamp emits a subtle illumination from behind its girthy, nearly 24-inch-across linen shade—ideal for shedding light on the plot twists of your next cocktail party. O&G Studio Jena Floor Lamp, $1,299, rejuvenation.com —Mimi Faucett

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Gardening?

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Spring Gardening?

“Ordering all your bulbs by November and getting them in the ground. It’s hard to remember because you’re getting your Halloween costume together, so I put it on my calendar. By March it’s too late, but my white snowdrops and crocuses were coming up even though there was still snow.” —Peter Marino, architect and author of ‘The Garden of Peter Marino’ (Rizzoli, April 4)

Start a Puny-Pottery Collection

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Start a Puny-Pottery Collection

With his itty-bitty, battery-operated wheel whirling and the lapping of Puget Sound in the background, potter Jon Almeda throws vessels that stand no taller than a statuesque gummy bear. “Working small allows me to focus on shape and scale and the relationship between the two,” said the Tacoma, Wash., ceramist. And it doesn’t keep him from employing sophisticated finishes, such as a glaze in which blooming crystals yield texture, or the Japanese raku technique, which produces a crackled surface. From $100 each or $599 for six-month Pot Posse subscription, almedapottery.com —Cara Gibbs

Be Bowled Over

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Be Bowled Over

The Italian penchant for carb-charged cuisine has turned a mammoth portion of spaghetti into a suppertime staple around the world, and this oversized stoneware serving dish does family-style justice. When designing the bowl (nearly 20 inches in diameter), Gabriele Bucci, the founder of Italian pottery company Ceramiche Bucci, tapped happy memories of an adolescence spent around mounds of pasta in pottery-rich Pesaro, Italy. He likens its size to any proper Italian gathering: “open to welcome all of us.” Its glossy black interior and sleek handles may read modern, but its unglazed terra cotta exterior hangs on to artisanal warmth. Fired at 1,200 degrees to ensure its sturdiness, this durable dish will survive lifetimes of second helpings. Ceramiche Bucci Spaghetti Bowl, $349, maisonnumen.com —Mimi Faucett

Upsize Your Cycle

Upsize Your Cycle

There’s an inside joke among cyclists that the correct number of bicycles to own is n+1: the n representing the number of bicycles the cyclist currently owns, and the 1 being whatever bike the cyclist wants next.
Lately, the 1 for many riders has been a gravel bike.
Sturdy but sleek, wide-tired but not lunar-rover chunky, gravel bikes are built to ride the bumpy surfaces in between the smooth pavement favored by road cyclists and the craggy, technical terrain found in mountain biking. Whether you pedal them on gravel, dirt, mud or a combination of the above, gravel bikes will deliver more traction and stability than a skinny-tired road bike can. At the same time, they’re fast: When a gravel bike hits good pavement, it should be snappy enough to help you keep up with your local spandex heroes.
Read the full story: A Bike That Can Do (Almost) Everything

Take Less Charge

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Take Less Charge

Love your laptop but not its bulky charger? Lighten your load with the FINsix Dart Universal Laptop Charger. Weighing just 2.9 ounces and measuring an easily pocketable 2.75 inches long and 1.1 inches thick, the Dart’s swappable tips make it compatible with a wide range of PCs, and a new USB-C version works with the latest Apple MacBooks, too. This auto-switching power supply can be used anywhere in the world, and it includes a USB charging port. Choose from five colors, including a non-officey blue (shown), orange and magenta. $100, finsix.com

Return to Slender

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Return to Slender

The jewelry spotlight has been on the ears for a few seasons as weighty “statement” earrings grew ever more artful. But it’s time to take a breath with these riffs on the delicate tennis bracelet. Yes it’s an investment, but unlike the Calder-esque chandeliers, these are forever. From top: Multi-shape Bracelet, price upon request, Graff, 212-355-9292; Deborah Pagani Bracelet, $8,400, Broken English, 212-219-1264; C de Cartier Bracelet, $13,400, cartier.com; Pear Rim Bracelet, $25,000, Nirav Modi, 212-603-0000; Rope Bracelet, $9,500, Stephen Russell, 212-570-6900

Max Out on a Megaship

Royal Caribbean International

Max Out on a Megaship

As cruise ships supersize, so do their onboard offerings. A few “biggest at sea” claims:
Tallest ‘dry’ slide The 216-foot, 10-deck-high Ultimate Abyss, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas
Longest single-rider waterslide The 394-foot Vertigo, MSC Preziosa
Roomiest cabins The 4,891 square-foot Garden Villa, Norwegian Jewel; the 4,443-square-foot Regent Suite, Seven Seas Explorer
Biggest brewery (not on a German ship) The 3-barrel RedFrog Brewery, Carnival Vista
Highest zip line A 9-deck-high cable, Harmony of the Seas
Longest plank A beam hangs 8 feet off the side of the Norwegian Breakaway (harness required)
Largest ice-skating rinks A 3,500-square-foot ice rink, several Royal Caribbean ships
—Sydney Lazarus

Enjoy Your Darkest Hours

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Enjoy Your Darkest Hours

Designer Alex Gilbert, co-founder of fashion label M. Martin, had her eye-mask epiphany on a flight to Paris with her business partner, Jennifer Noyes. “I jumped when I saw Jen wearing this enormous sleep mask [from Sleepmaster],” said Ms. Gilbert. Unlike most other masks the designer had seen—too skimpy to keep light out, bound with unsightly elastic—Ms. Noyes’s blinder loomed luxe and large. M. Martin soon collaborated with Sleepmaster to design its own version, available this month. “We chose the fabric—navy satin—and added our monogram,” said Ms. Gilbert. “It’s a little kitschy but modern, and really comfortable…like a pillow for your eyes.” $45, mmartin.com

Ponder a Perennial Wine Dilemma

Dave Urban

Ponder a Perennial Wine Dilemma

It’s trendy to favor tiny wineries over mega-producers. Lettie Teague says what matters is how the wine itself measures up

A wine snob’s philosophy might be summed up in six words: Big is bad, small is good. From winemakers who tout the tininess of their yields to retailers, sommeliers and collectors who wield the “boutique” word, small is a synonym for quality. Big, on the other hand, is almost automatically assumed to be bad. Any wine produced in large quantities by a large winery must surely be the work of a machine and a marketing team and not a sensitive and caring family.
And yet there are plenty of exceptions to this wine snob rule. There are many good, even world-famous wines made by big wineries and some real dreck turned out in tiny amounts by winemakers who are a one-man or -woman show. What are the real virtues of small versus large?
Read the full story: Can You Judge a Wine By the Size of the Winery?

Shrink Your Shrubs

Spring Meadow Nursery

Shrink Your Shrubs

Have a cramped garden? These new dwarf varieties won’t crowd you out

It’s the dream of many a homeowner: a property full of mature trees, endless flower beds overflowing with English-Country-Garden abandon and tall lilac bushes scenting the spring air.
The horticultural reality? Skimpy townhouse terraces, grudging high-rise balconies and shrinking suburban yards.
To the rescue of the chlorophyll-craving masses: the plant industry. Recognizing a market for small-scale greenery, producers now offer dwarf versions of familiar trees, shrubs and perennials: hydrangeas that top out at 2 feet high and wide, compact lilacs and wee evergreens.
Read the full story: Small Garden? These Shrubs Won’t Crowd You Out

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Car Design?

What Tiny Detail Makes a Big Difference in Car Design?

“Quietness in the interior cabin [might seem relatively minor]. But ‘quiet’ isn’t just about getting rid of noise and reducing decibel levels inside the car; it’s also about improving the quality of sounds—like having a pleasant vehicle chime or infotainment sounds.” —Ke Zhang-Miske, Global Technology Planning Manager, Buick

Pencil In a Micro-Sculpture

Pencil In a Micro-Sculpture

Salavat Fidai has carved out a very specific niche for himself. Employing his index finger as an easel and an X-Acto knife as his chisel, the Russian sculptor fashions mini-masterpieces into the points of graphite pencils. Subjects include the banal, like a ladder-back chair, and the stately, such as an eagle perched atop a clock that’s so detailed the duo could easily pass for a monument if not for their combined stature of 0.2 inches. For an exhibit in conjunction with HBO Asia (from April 22 to June 4, in Singapore) Mr. Fidai replicated 16 characters from “Game of Thrones.” The self-taught sculptor, who suggests using a bell jar or shadowbox frame for display, enlists a microscope for the smallest details, sometimes working days on a single piece. “The technology is very simple,” he said. “I take a pencil and remove the extra.” From $500 each, salavatfidai.com —Cara Gibbs

Pocket a Porthole

Pocket a Porthole

In her peewee portrayals of the sea, London-based artist Marine-Edith Crosta captures the ocean’s haunting vastness on decidedly not-so-vast canvases. Starting at about 3 inches across and framed behind convex glass in vintage brass frames that aptly recall a porthole, the oil paintings depict frothy cobalt waves under expectant skies or silvery waters quiescent in the moonlight. The artist, who uses fan brushes to achieve a caught-in-a-fog feel, may refer to her miniatures as “personal and intimate secrets,” but, personally, we’d like to hang one (or three or four) conspicuously in a powder room or on a stair landing. Look for a new collection mid-April. Lost at Sea Seascapes, from about $170 each, marinecrosta.com —Mimi Faucett

Expand Your Cans

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Expand Your Cans

With wireless earbuds shrunk down to after-dinner-mint proportions, what’s the appeal of gigantic, over-the-ear ’phones? Sound quality. The AKG K701, whose ear cups measure a whopping 4.3 inches in diameter, employs what’s known as an “open-back” design to deliver a more spacious sound than the stuck-inside-your-head effect of earbuds. And with a headband design that minimizes clamping pressure, and earpads cushy enough to nap on, you can wear these comfortably for hours. $449, akg.com

Join the Inch-High Club

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Anne Cardenas

Join the Inch-High Club

Drones may be all the rage, but the uninitiated struggle to fly them without disaster. In the interest of others’ safety (and yours), start your training with this 2-inch-by-2-inch quadcopter, which is teeny enough to inflict less pain and damage when you inevitably crash it. Bonus: Unlike the imposing blades found on a standard drone, this toy’s itty bitty blades won’t harrow you when you watch them whir. Cheerson CX-Stars Quadcopter, $35, amazon.com

Swig Travel-Size Cocktails

F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

Swig Travel-Size Cocktails

Maybe you’re the kind of bon vivant who travels with a flask and a cocktail shaker. If not, the next best thing might just be a tiny can of Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock & Rye. It’s an American cocktail classic—rye whiskey, sweetened with honey and rock sugar, fragrant with air-dried Florida navel oranges, balanced with a dash of bitters. The 100ml (3.38 ounces) can size puts it within the bounds of TSA carry-on regulations, though you ought to consult with your airline before imbibing. $4 per can, drinkslowandlow.com —Matthew Kronsberg